


attention

by itotallyreadthatbook



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dear Evan Hansen References, Everyone's happy, First Meetings, Fluff, Gay Keith (Voltron), Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, M/M, Musical References, Musicals, POV Keith (Voltron), POV Lance (Voltron), Pansexual Lance (Voltron), get ready for some lyrics my dudes, some own characters, sorry for the mistakes, they're all at university, wrote this in one take
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-26
Updated: 2017-06-26
Packaged: 2018-11-19 08:59:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11310090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itotallyreadthatbook/pseuds/itotallyreadthatbook
Summary: His attention, however, was drawn to a boy with long black hair, wearing all black, behind the microphone.“You just want attention, you don’t want my heart,” he sang. Lance noticed that he had one of the purest voices he had ever heard, enchanting and sweet and cute as fuck. He should go inside to see him. “Maybe you just hate the thought of me with someone new,” the boy continued.





	attention

**Author's Note:**

> hello everyone! i was in a mood to write, so i created this thing. i hope you enjoy it!
> 
> i have a few own characters:  
> sarah: keith's best friend  
> valentine: her brother, also a good friend of keith  
> justin: some dude from keith's year from the drama club  
> saph/sapphire: as old as shiro and allura, she can sing really well and decided to join the festival  
> eliza: she's a first year, is very excited about everything. also from the drama club.

Lance stopped in front of studio 4B. He could vaguely hear music coming from behind the door, but he hesitated to go in.

Originally, he came to look for Pidge and Hunk. Without them, he was bored.

 

Hand still lingering on the doorknob, he peeked his head around the corner. He immediately saw Hunk behind the drums and after a while he spotted Pidge with their brother behind the technique cabinet, or whatever that was called.

His attention, however, was drawn to a boy with long black hair, wearing all black, behind the microphone.

 _“You just want attention, you don’t want my heart,”_ he sang. Lance noticed that he had one of the purest voices he had ever heard, enchanting and sweet and cute as fuck. _“Maybe you just hate the thought of me with someone new.”_

A tall boy with bright blue hair was behind a guitar, singing the backing of the music.

Slowly, Lance fully turned around the corner, leaning against the doorpost. He knew he shouldn’t interrupt them, they were rehearsing for the festival next week.

 

Every year the university held a festival to raise money for charities, Lance had understood from Pidge and Hunk. He didn’t really know what the charity was this year. But he was sure it was on one of the posters that were scattered around the campus.

 

 _“You were running around, running around, running around, throwing that dirt all on my name. ‘Cause you knew that I, knew that I, knew that I’d call you up.”_ The boy with the black hair -- a mullet, it almost seemed -- continued singing, not noticing he had more public.

But when Lance looked around the room, he saw a few other people sitting on benches, sofas and piano stools.

 

A girl with frizzy light brown hair and a dark complexion motioned at him to come sit next to her. Lance grinned. When a pretty girl called for his attention, he didn’t refuse.

“Hi,” she whispered when he sat down, “did you come here to watch?”

“Actually I’m here for Pidge and Hunk. I knew they were rehearsing and I wanted to take a look. And I must say that this band is really good.” Lance looked in her eyes, which were blue, just like his.

“I know, right? At first, Keith didn’t want to sing at first, but I convinced him to do this. And Shiro has helped him to overcome his performance anxiety,” she whispered. “I’m Sarah, by the way.”

“My name is Lance. So the singer’s called Keith?” Lance tilted his head a bit. Odd name, he thought.

“Yes. And the guy who plays the guitar is Valentine, my brother. And you know Hunk, of course.”

 

Then the song was over, and they applauded for the band. A guy with broad shoulders and a tuft of white hair walked towards the band.

“Very good, guys. I can see that you’ve practiced a lot. Hunk, I need you on the drum with the next song. Nyma and Shay have arrived, but I believe their drummer is sick. And Valentine, if you could help me set up the microphones? Otherwise I’d ask Matt and Pidge to do it, but they’re still working on the lights.”

“That’s Shiro. He’s kind of like our director, because he always tells us what to do,” Sarah clarified. “Anyways, I’ve got to go. Allura needs me.” Sarah rose from the sofa and looked at him. “You can stay for awhile if you want. Just don’t interrupt anyone.”

Lance nodded, putting his hands in the pockets of his jacket. He watches as the guy with the blue hair -- Valentine, apparently -- lifts microphones from the left of the stage to the right. He swore he’d seen him before, but with other hair colours. Red, purple, green, pink, rainbow, he’d seen it all on that guy. But he was the only one that looked familiar to Lance.

 

Suddenly, someone sits down a few inches away from him.

“Uhm, hello,” Lance begins, but then he sees it’s the cute guy that was just singing.

Keith looked his way and frowned. “Do I know you?” he asked.

Lance huffed. “Rude. But no, you probably don’t. The name is Lance,” he said.

“Sorry, I didn’t want to seem rude. It just… happens, sometimes. And my name is Keith. I think I’ve seen you around the campus a couple of times,” Keith said.

“You probably have. Since we’re both here at school and all.” Lance stared into Keith’s eyes. “Is she your girlfriend?” he asked.

“Who, Sarah?”

Lance nodded.

Keith laughed. “No, and I’m happy she isn’t. She’s my best friend, kind of like a sister. I could never date her. Why are you asking?” Keith narrowed his eyes.

“Oh, nothing. I was just, er, you…” Lance shook his head. “Nevermind. Whatcha reading?”

Keith looked away from him to the book in his hands. “Oh, I don’t think you’d want to know,” he said with a small voice.

“I think I do,” Lance grinned. “Just tell me about it. When I was younger I loved reading, but I stopped doing it overtime. Don’t really know why, though.” He shrugged.

 

“Well, this book is called Carry On, and some people say that it’s a lot like Harry Potter, which it totally isn’t. It may seem similar in the beginning, but it’s its own story. It follows a boy called Simon who discovered he’s a wizard a few years ago, and now he’s in his last year of Watford, the wizarding school. Some people think he can save them from the war, but not many people trust him. Simon thinks his roommate is a vampire. Simon’s best friend, Penny, is really smart and dies her hair all the time…”

 

Lance listened as Keith rambled about his book. He liked seeing him like this.

After a while, Keith fell silent. “Sorry, I must be boring you,” he quietly said.

Lance just smiled at him. “No, I’m not bored. You’re a good storyteller. I assume you’ve already read the book once?”

“More than once.” Keith showed him a small smile, and Lance immediately decided he should do that more often. His face lit up in an adorable way and his cheeks got small dimples.

 

 

“Okay, next song!” Shiro announces. Keith turned towards his voice. He’d forgotten how long he had been sitting here with Lance.

“We’re doing Anybody Have A Map? so we need everyone who plays in the Murphy family and the Hansen family. That includes you, Saph.” Shiro gave the tall girl in the corner of the room a stern look.

“Yes, yes, I’m already joining. I skipped just one time, okay? It won’t happen again,” she defended. Shiro just rolled his eyes at her. Keith saw how Valentine and Sarah also stood up to take their places on stage.

“I’m in this song too, so I need to go,” Keith said. He placed his book upside down on the bench, with the pages open so he wouldn’t lose his spot in the book.

“Wait, don’t you have a bookmark?” Lance asked.

“Er, no. Is that a big problem?” Keith rose his eyebrow.

Lance just shook his head. “No, but I just expected you to have one. Nevermind, go play in your musical. I’ll wait for you.”

Keith smiled and turned around.

 

When he reached the stage, Valentine gave him a knowing look.

“And who’s that handsome dude --”

“Don’t say a word,” Keith growled.

“Already practising the role of Connor Murphy, I see?” Sarah remarked from behind him.

Keith ignored them both and went to sit on his place on the stage.

Eventually, Sarah also ran towards her place as the music began to play. She immediately had to sing, so she couldn’t be late.

 

“Have you been writing those letters to yourself lately? Dear Evan Hansen, this is going to be a good day, and here’s why,” she began to Valentine. The guitar was playing in the background.

Valentine just shrugged, completely absorbed in his role, shoulders hanging and nervously fidgeting his hands. “I’ve started one.”

 

Keith listened as Valentine and Sarah performed their part of the song. Then it was queue for Sapphire to start singing in the role of the overprotective mother.

“It’s your senior year, Connor, you’re not missing the first day!”

Keith -- who played Connor - rolled his eyes turned towards her on his chair, sighing loudly. “I already said, I’d go tomorrow.”

Justin folded his imaginary paper, playing the dad. “He doesn’t listen, look at him. He’s probably high.”

Eliza, who sat across him as his sister, commented, “He’s definitely high.”

Sapphire’s turn: “I don’t want you to go into school high, Connor!”

Keith stood up, shoving his chair aside and grabbing his backpack. “Perfect! So then I won’t go.” He speed-walked towards the wings of the stage.

 

From off-stage, he watched and listened as Sarah and Sapphire sang their duet, interrupted by Justin and Eliza who were saying random lines.

“The interstate is already jammed.”

“Connor finished the milk! And if he’s not ready I’m leaving without him.”

They joined him and Valentine in the wings.

“Are you looking forward to the festival as well?” Eliza asked. “This one will be my first, I can’t wait!”

“Same here. I’m so excited,” Valentine grinned.

 

When the song was over, Shiro and Allura walked towards them.

“One of the singers called out. We need some of you to do more songs,” Shiro said.

“Wait, more than we already do?” Eliza asked.

Sarah had arrived too. “Who did you have in mind?”

“Valentine, mostly. He doesn’t have that many songs yet,” Allura said.

“Why me? I can barely manage these ones, let alone even more,” Valentine defended. “I know you all want me to sing more because I’m amazing and stuff, but I can’t do all of them. Maybe ask Keith? He’s one of our best singers.”

Keith’s head snapped up at the mention of his name. “Uh uh, I’m not doing that. I am way too shy for this. It’s an accomplishment I’m doing these songs already.”

“We know that, Keith. but you’re one of our best options,” Sarah said.

“You don’t realise how good you are!” Sapphire added.

Justin nodded. “I’m sure you can manage this.”

Keith blinked a few times. “Since when did this turn into Praise Keith Hour?”

Shiro just sighed. “Keith, at least think about it. Please?”

Keith bit his lip. “Okay, I’ll think about it,” he sighed.

He walked back to where Lance was still sitting. He looked confused.

 

 

“What was that about, dude? You don’t look too happy,” Lance frowned. He didn’t know why Keith’s mood had changed so suddenly. He looked so happy a few moments ago.

“They want me to do more songs,” Keith sighed, “but I can’t. My performance anxiety level is high, as I always say it. I’m just so afraid to step onto that stage.”

Lance tilted his head. “But once you’re there, your whole face lights up and you completely change. You’re really good at acting and singing.” _And it looks really cute._ But he wasn’t going to say that out loud.

“I’m really shy, Lance.” Keith looked at him through his bangs. “And I’m not that good.”

Lance gasped. “Are you kidding me? You’re amazing. I know you can do this.”

Keith blushed at the compliments. “You don’t even know me that well.”

“But I want to,” Lance blurted out. “Besides, you have a wonderful voice. It’ll be alright.”

Keith flushed a darker shade of red, if that was even possible. His hands started fidgeting. “Uhm, thanks.” He didn’t look up at Lance, which was a shame because Keith had beautiful eyes.

Then Lance looked at the clock on the wall and realised he had been here too long. “I have to go, studying and stuff. But if you want to talk to me just check your bookmark.” He stood up and winked at Keith.

 

 

“But I don’t even have a -- wait, what?” Keith was surprised that Lance had left so suddenly. He had really like him.

Then, realising what Lance had said, he opened his book. Lance must have closed it.

On page three hundred, where he stopped reading this morning, was a paper. On the paper was a phone number and a name.

 

_I’ll see you at the festival -- Lance_

 

Keith blushed even more. Honestly, he couldn’t stop when he was around Lance.

“Keith, do you already know if you’re going to sing?” Valentine asked from across the room.

Sarah smacked his arm. “It’s only five minutes ago, he probably needs more time, idiot.”

Keith walked towards them. “No, I have decided. But thanks anyway, Sarah.” He smiled.

“Did Lance convince you?” she asked.

Keith blushed. “I, uhm…”

“Who is Lance, the hot one?” Valentine asked.

“Yes,” Keith answered. When he realised what he said, he buried his head into his hands. “No, wait, I didn’t mean it like that.”

Sarah smirked. “Too late, Keithy boy. Shiro, we have a code red. Keith has found a cute boy.”

Valentine stomped his shoulder. “Good job, dude. You always manage to get the hot guys before me. It’s a shame.”

“Back to the original question: Keith, are you singing extra songs?” Shiro asked. Keith just nodded.

Behind Shiro, Allura was cheering excitedly. “Now we don’t have to find another singer. Thanks Keith, you’ve spared me lots of stress.”

 

Keith smiled and thought about the note in his book. He couldn’t wait for the festival.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading, comments/kudos would make me very haps
> 
> come screaming with me about fandoms on my tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/booklover422
> 
> the song that keith was singing in the beginning was attention from charlie puth, which is also where the fic title is from. the second song that was mentioned was anybody have a map? from dear evan hansen (musical). i'm a huge broadway nerd lmao and i suggest you all go listen to it.  
> the book keith was talking about was carry on by rainbow rowell. go check it out, it's one of my favourite books ever.
> 
> see you next time!


End file.
